Music
Music
Where I'm From
San Francisco, CA
My Dance Training
SFB ballet with Irina Jacobsen who was Vaganova’s disciple, The Juilliard School with the Corvinos and Benjamin Harkarvy, and currently I take class with Joyce Herring, Christine Wright, and Janet Panetta, and they have really changed my movement and my approach. I’ve learned a lot from actually performing and working with the high caliber dancers in Rioult.
My Dance Experience
SFB, ODC/SF, Jeune Ballet, Buglisi Dance Theater, Battery Dance Company, Metropolitan Opera Ballet, Doorknob Dance, Thang Dao Dance Company, and I have danced for Rioult for the last 8 years.
Other Work Experience
I love my jobs. Thursday, I teach yoga, then dance from 10-6 with Rioult and then I work my paralegal job at a law firm. I feel like I stimulate every part of my mind.
Method For Treating Body Soreness
I ice a lot, take advil, and get regular massages.
A Cool Place I Visited While Dancing on a Tour
I went to the Middle East with Battery Dance and we got to visit the Lost City of Petra in Jordan. It is one of the seven wonders of the world. I have also visited Europe a lot with Rioult and feel blessed to meet so many wonderful people in my field on the road who are so passionate about what they do.
My Favorite Rehearsal Snack
I love peanut butter banana smoothies and cheese and crackers.
A Dance-Related Injury
I got a black eye once from not being synced up with my partner. He socked me in the face,and I have to say I learned to always figure out timing before just “doing” the steps.
Other Passions & Interests
I knit, sew, make jewelry, play music. I’d love to learn to make everything I need.
Why do you dance?
I dance because I’d be so unhappy if I didn’t. I never liked talking much when I was a kid. I felt words didn’t always sum up what I felt. It is my outlet and how I express myself. It is my true voice and passion. I remember always dancing down the street when I was little. I asked my mom if I could wear my ballet shoes and tutu to the grocery store when I was 6.
What do you love about dancing?
I love dancing because it has pushed me and taught me that discipline and passion are the keys to fulfillment. Sometimes, I just feel like I can’t do anymore or give anymore, and then I let go and find that I can and it is the best feeling in the world.
What's the hardest part of being a dancer?
What we do is so intangible and that is hard. I feel like when I’ve finally accomplished some goal, its reward is so ephemeral. I feel like every morning when I wake up, I have a new canvas to paint on and I have to see how I can make that happen. It is a beautiful thing, but sometimes I wish I could bottle up those high adrenaline, mind blowing shows so I could remember them better. Video doesn’t always capture that energy.
Jane Sato